The Evolution of Design Patterns in HCI: From Pattern Languages to Pattern-Oriented Design

摘要

User interface design patterns also called HCI or interaction or usability patterns have been introduced first as a medium to capture and represent solutions to users' problems. Patterns have been used also as a medium for transferring the expertise of HCI designers and usability professionals to software engineers, who are usually unfamiliar with UI design and usability principles. Design patterns have been considered also as a lingua franca for crossing cultural and professional barriers between different stakeholders. Several HCI professionals have introduced their own pattern languages with specific terminology, classification and meanings. Patterns have also been presented as building reusable blocks at different levels of granularity, which can be combined to compose new interactive systems. Despite the obvious and acclaimed potential of these pattern-driven design approaches, patterns usage has not achieved the acceptance and widespread applicability envisaged by pattern pioneers such as Christopher Alexander. This paper provides an analysis of the facts about patterns usages, pattern languages and pattern-based design approaches. Some shortcomings in the presentation and application of HCI patterns are identified and discussed under the prevailing fallacies. Based on the analysis of how patterns have used so far, we draw some recommendations and future perspectives on what can be done to address the existing shortcomings. Making patterns more accessible, easily understandable, comparable and integratable in software and HCI design tools can promote HCI patterns to claim the usability, usefulness and importance originally envisaged for the pattern-oriented design approach.